Construction work continues on a new recycling processing facility at the Alamance County Landfill, with a projected opening date of April 1.

Alamance County Solid Waste Director Greg Thomas said Wednesday the construction work is behind schedule by about three weeks because of recent rainy weather. Thomas said crews have poured concrete for the facility’s walls and that the building’s metal frame will be going up soon.

Once construction is completed, the balers used in the recycling process will be moved into the new facility. Thomas said the project was set to meet budget projections.

The Alamance County Board of Commissioners approved a $584,000 bid from Central Builders of Mebane in August for the project. Alley Williams Carmen and King Inc., was selected to plan, design, and oversee construction. The new facility’s operational footprint will be about one acre.

The project is being paid for in part with $313,450 remaining in an unspent landfill construction bond money from 2002. The rest is funded with $270,550 from the landfill’s appropriated retained earnings.

The 8,000-square-foot pre-engineered metal building will serve as a recycling processing facility at the landfill enabling the separation and baling of recyclable materials, including cardboard, newspaper, aluminum cans and plastics.

Over the past six years, the landfill has recycled 22,600 tons generating $900,000 in revenues. Thomas said the new center will allow the landfill to better manage the storage, marketing and competitive pricing of baled commodities in bulk, as opposed to current, smaller piecemeal loads of lesser volumes.

During closed hours, the facility will be used as a parking garage for vehicles and also will allow the landfill to better manage the scrap tires it receives.